Antique DOLL Collector July 2010 Vol. 13, No. 6
July 2010 Vol. 13, No. 6 $595 / $695 Canada www.antiquedollcollector.com
Mélisande takes her name from a young woman in the French lyric drama, Claude Debussy’s opera, “Pelléas et Mélisande.” Both are breathtaking demoiselles with an air of mystery about them, but then they part ways, as our Mélisande symbolizes the sweet splendor of youth and remains thus, ever after.
The Many-Splendored
Melisande ’
by Lori Santamaura in collaboration with Juliette Peers Photos by Sal Santamaura, except where noted
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ach child who comes into our lives presents an opportunity to see the world anew. Society’s perceptions of early childhood took giant leaps and bounds through the ages. While children were universally reared based on a set of cultural assumptions, the middle of the nineteenth century brought a fresh perspective. Childhood became a sacred, sentimental period, owing largely to the teachings Jean-Jacque Rousseau offered one hundred years prior, that were only heeded in the 1850s. Rousseau proclaimed children to be very different than adults – innocent, vulnerable, slow to mature – and entitled to freedom and happiness (Darling 1994: 6). Mélisande poignantly portrays the essence of those precious years of life. She is our center of attention. Let’s take her hand as we explore petticoats and pinafores and everything nice, mode enfantine accompanied by accoutrements – playthings – to add some spice. What child is this Mélisande? Her maker is a mystery. Indeed, heads on French fashions are typically not marked, yet usually have the hallmark of a certain hand or a stamped body that can be attributed to one or another purveyor. Our sixteen and one-half inch Mélisande bears no sole resemblance to those of her time; she is unique, one of a kind. Her piercedthrough ears and pressed bisque denote her as early. She views her surroundings with innocent, hooded blue eyes. Modeling of upper lids in relief resembles techniques employed by the Huret firm, the link only serving as confirmation of her era.
Further focus on the eyes reveals a brow color complimentary to her curly lamb wig. Beautifully modeled lips lend a youthful dimension to her sublimely serene face. Her marvelous articulated leather-over-wood body, however, is one that has been seen on early Barrois models, with bisque forearms and sweetly modeled bisque bare lower legs. Tenon joints at the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees permit her to complete requisite training and become a poised, self-assured young lady. Nonetheless, she can effortlessly release the energy of her youth, certainly dexterous but also dainty. Research continues as more collectors and dealers compare notes. Two models similar to Mélisande have been seen, but they manifest an adult persona. One example is a permanent component of the collection of The Museum of the City of New York. Someday a sister may be found bearing a legible stamp or printed label, perhaps of a very obscure company. Until then, Mélisande continues to tell us much about her sisters and cousins, known and unknown. She also strongly embodies the world of little girls who had the great fortune to play with beautifully crafted dolls of mid- nineteenth century Paris. Collectors of French poupées know that a maker’s mark is not the sole emblem of excellence in a doll. Although the origins of this dear one may still be undiscovered, it is no secret that Mélisande’s silk plaid dress in shades of cream, charcoal and violet is mode enfantine
Underpinnings for girls of young Mélisande’s age would have included the crinoline. Crinolines appeared in the late 1840s. Made originally of horsehair, linen, stiffened silk or cotton, the term derived from the French word “crin“meaning “horsehair.” Serving as a foundation to support the edge of a hem, the crinoline’s first incarnation was heavy and bulky. By 1853, an American, W.S. Thomson, patented a metal cage crinoline, marketed abroad in France and England, which permitted legs to move very freely beneath the cage. Les petites filles and grande fillettes alike had reason to kick up their heels. SEATED PHOTO COURTESY CARMEL DOLL SHOP ARCHIVES
extraordinaire. That there should be such things as children’s fashions – that children should have clothes different from those of their elders, clothes suitable for their growing bodies and active lives – seems to us so obvious that there can be no dispute about it (James Laver). It seems incongruous, in the scheme of things, that the idea is relatively new. In fact, it nearly escaped thought until the eighteenth century ended. Evidence is scarce that special attire for children preceded 1800. Youngsters from prior eras were cut, both literally and figuratively, of the same cloth as their parents. Young girls took the toll with their tender bodies bound in corsets. It has been speculated that these demoiselles were required to sleep in them to achieve slender proportions later in life. Only in late eighteenth century England, following on from the writings of Rousseau, did the revolutionary idea arise that children should not be imprisoned and stifled in miniature versions of adult clothes made of heavy silk and brocades. Little girls began to wear pretty white frocks in soft muslin and boys wore simple matching suits with loose collars. Both girls and boys often featured short, loose uncomplicated hairstyles. This relative freedom and simplicity in children’s dress persisted, especially in English-speaking countries, for about fifty years. The romantic fashions of the 1830s increasingly brought a new sense of decoration to girls’ dresses and hairstyling but, during the Second Empire, the fashion “look” of little girls changed from sweet, delicate blossoms to dazzling creatures of much elegance. Second Empire Paris was the birth of fashion modernity, the city, branding, celebrities in both politics and culture and so much that can still be viewed all around us but, perhaps, with a greater sense of panache and style that we do not see any more. On the cutting edge was the magazine La Mode Illustréé under the direction of founder Emmeline Raymond. Mme. Raymond’s premise was to teach mothers and young people,
Mélisande with her innocent blue eyes, her pale blonde/gold curls, her mauve plaid silk and violet trimmed bonnet, is the essence of Adolphe William Bouguereau’s “Idylle Enfantine.” AUTHOR’S COLLECTION 21
by Lynn Murray
In 1951 Effanbee produced a series of Honey dolls dressed in costumes designed by Mme Elsa Schiaparelli. They were sold exclusively at such stores as Strawbridge & Clothier, Marshall Fields, John Wannamaker and Neiman-Marcus.
The doll costumes were well constructed of quality fabric. The designs, of course, reflected the 1951 Schiaparelli Spring line. This outfit consists of a one-piece romper with over-skirt of yellow linen, matching slippers, an orange cotton neck scarf and a large straw sun hat. The doll retains her original Strawbridge & Clothiers price sticker for $19.95.
lsa Luisa Maria Schiaparelli was born in Rome in 1890 into a family of scholars. Her father was a specialist in Arabic and Islamic languages and literature and her cousin, Ernesto, was a famous Egyptologist. Her Uncle Giovanni discovered the canals on Mars. Perhaps it was this intellectual surrounding that led the shy, insecure Elsa to become free-thinking and unable to accept the boundaries of conservative upper-middle-class life in 1930s Rome. During her childhood years she played in the attics of the family home where there was a trunk of clothing from the previous century. As a tiny child she fell in love with the brilliant shocking pink of the begonias in the neighborhood, which would have a profound effect on her future in fashion design. In 1913, Elsa was sent to London to help babysit for a family friend. On her journey from Rome, she
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There were fourteen dolls planned for the series. The basic dolls were the same, but they had different eye colors and unique wigs chosen by Mme Schiaparelli. The dolls were all 18� strung hard plastic dolls, not walking dolls.
The purple and yellow outfit is of jersey knit. The dress is complemented by a matching shoulderlength cape, a chic cap and a black patent purse on a belt. From the back you can see the sophisticated hair-do, the matching hat, and the Schiaparelli tag sewn into the waist. “Mme Schiaparelli Creation by Effanbee”.
stopped briefly in Paris. That brief visit was all it took. She resolved to return one day and live the life of an artist in Paris. But much would happen before her return. Just a year after her arrival in London, Elsa Schiaparelli met a charming spiritualist by the name of Wilhelm Wendt de Kerlor. Within twentyfour hours the couple had become engaged and married at a London registry office. This rash behavior was shocking but not surprising to her family. The couple lived briefly in Europe before setting off to America, where de Kerlor hoped to lecture and spread his philosophy. De Kerlor and Schiaparelli lived together only intermittently as he was a notorious womanizer. Schiaparelli had to take many odd jobs to make ends meet. All the while she was building a network of friends within the artistic community, among them photographer Edward Steichen, Dadaist painter Francis Picabia and his wife, Gabrielle, and photographer Man Ray. When her husband had a dalliance with dancer Isadora Duncan, their marriage was over but for the fact that Elsa discovered she was expecting a child. Soon after the baby girl arrived, Elsa left her husband for the final time. Baby Maria Luisa Yvonne “Gogo” was sent to a nurse in Connecticut while her mother went off to the artist community of Woodstock, New York. There Elsa spent time with her friend Blanche
From shocking pink to Shocking, the perfume, Mme Schiaparelli was not afraid to risk controversy. Her theory was that shock has its place in marketing. The perfume bottles from her signature perfume are highly collectible, as is the 14” Effanbee Honey modeling her original Schiaparelli outfit. Even her petticoat was trimmed in matching black velvet. The 18” Effanbee Honey with her sophisticated hairstyle epitomized the woman of 1951. Schiaparelli encouraged Post War women to make themselves pretty again, while subtly sowing the early seeds of the women’s movement.
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Roberta's DOLL HOUSE
More Dolls! More Pictures! More Excitement! www.robertasdollhouse.com
Roberta and Ziggy Zygarlowski, 475 17th Ave., Paterson, N.J. 07504 (973) 684-4945 • Fax (973) 523-7585 • CALL TOLL FREE 1-800-569-9739 32
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31. Lovely German two room setting - excellent condition - original wall paper & flooring - wonderful vintage furniture & accessories - 20”w x 9”t x 8”d - $1,495. 32. Wonderful early scowling American Indian by Armand Marseille (AM) - excellent bisque w/ greatly detailed molding - wondrous hand painted facial features w/ dark brows over chestnut brown paperweight eyes - slightly open mouth w/ upper teeth & soft amber shaded lips - - original compo body - 18” tall - $995. 33. A truly lovely wax fashion diva by Lafitte - Desirat - hand poured wax head of a slender adult woman - hand painted facial features w/ very heavy eyeliner & lashes - side painted sky blue eyes - molded & stuffed original cloth body that sits atop her original velvet stand - she is very fashion correct in her velvet ensemble w/ silk & lace trim - fur muff & hat (it wasn‘t bad then)- feathered bonnet - outstanding 13” tall - $1,995. 34. Not one but two amazing large size “Frozen Charlie’s w/ extremely desirable pink tint: A. Deeply molded café-au-lait hair w/ lots of those very desirable wisps around that amazing face - icelandic blue eyes - deeply detailed hands & feet -very high glaze - 16” tall - $1,295. B. Very rare all pink tint w/ exceptional modeling very desirable well detailed face - very soft painted features - 16” tall - $1,295. 35. Did you ever see anything as exciting & as amazing as this handsome young court gentleman by Jumeau - wax over papier-mache w/ such superior quality - he’s just breathtaking - this rare mold can be found in the French Encyclopedia - slightly turned shoulder head w/ exquisite hand painted molded features - wondrous chestnut brown glass eyes - original mohair wig - wax over arms - compo booted legs - 25” tall $2,495. 36. Another extremely rare wonder - this is a never to be found German portrait lady
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Liberal Financing Available
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made for the French trade - mold #411 - she is a slightly turned slender neck with the most beautiful & pronounced face - lovely slender features w/ a totally captivating face - lovely hand painted facial features w/ soft arched feathered brows over long luscious lashes surrounding wondrous chestnut brown glass eyes - closed pert mouth w/ soft amber shading - original fashion body w/ exquisite bisque hands & arms listed in the blue book as being extremely rare - 15” tall - $3,995. Well - did you stop breathing - what a beauty - so rare - so wonderful 1879 Long Face Triste Bebe by Jumeau - early pristine hand pressed French bisque w/ crisp first out of the mold freshness - artist quality hand painted facial features w/ soft arched feathered brows over long wistful lashes surrounding early dark outlined enormous chestnut brown paperweight eyes - pert petite pouty smiling mouth w/ that always desirable center line - outlined soft amber shaded lips - early applied ears w/ original Jumeau earrings - original early eight ball body - great big 27” tall - $32,500. Full length of our beautiful Jumeau Triste Bebe Another truly rare & wonderful happy young lad - this is a never ever to be found open mouth #116a toddler by Kammer & Reinhardt - soft as butter bisque w/ first out of the mold quality - wondrous hand painted facial features w/ soft arched feathered brows over gorgeous heather blue sleep eyes w/ human hair upper lashes - open laughing mouth w/ two upper teeth & soft amber shading - to make him all the more delightful he‘s on a fully jointed toddler body - 18” tall - $2,495. Ok - did you ever in your life see anything as cute as this - a truly rare and wonderful “Tommy Tucker” by Bruno Schmidt - mold #2048 - with molded painted side parted hair - wondrous hand painted facial features w/ soft arched feathered brows over long luscious lashes - surrounding deep dark blue sleep eyes
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- slightly open smiling mouth - to add to his wonderment & delight he is dressed in his night shirt & sleep cap - holding his bunny - original fully jointed body - sweet shelf size - 12” tall - $1,495. Extremely rare 1840’s - China lady w/ that always desirable pink luster tint - to add to her wonderment she has that hair swept back into a bun hairstyle that is just breathtaking - beautiful round face w/ blue Icelandic eyes - closed pouty mouth w/ soft rose shading - lovely old body - 22” tall $4,995. Extremely rare & ever so wonderful all original Dewees Cochran “Deborah” - with the help of my friend Dawn - we believe that’s who she is - very unique & different face w/ wide eye wonder written all over it - beautiful blue eyes & such a happy smiling face - excellent condition w/ an extra dress & to make her all the more delightful she comes in her original box - 15” tall - $2,495. Exceptionally large kindly featured elderly English couple by Nora Wellings mint condition w/ beautiful original molded and hand painted faces - felt jointed bodies - pristine original clothes w/ tagged label on wrist - 26” tall - $2,495. Extremely rare & always desirable is this amazing Jackson-Parsons baby - hand molded biskoline head (they often advertised their dolls as being carved from real life models & these dolls were guaranteed to float in water) great detail w/ wondrous chestnut brown eyes - rare open/closed mouth - original five piece compo baby body - 14” tall - $795. Two rare & wonderful wood segmented characters - both are in excellent condition - both have original labels on bodies - both are extremely rare to find: A - “Mr. Peanut” - 9” tall - $595. B - “Gabby” - from the first full length cartoon of “Gulliver’s Travels” - 10” tall - $895.
Bodies Beautiful
A Brief Look at the Different Types of Bodies of French Fashions and Bebes of the Golden Era by Janet Gula
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rom the early beginnings of the French doll industry starting in the 1860’s until its demise around the turn of the century, French doll manufacturers were constantly experimenting with ways to make their products more enticing for little girls. Of course much attention was paid to the beautiful sculpting of the doll faces but not to be overlooked is the fastidious construction of the doll bodies as well. Such factors as pose-ability, weight, and durability were all important factors and much inventiveness went into the design of doll bodies.
In the Beginning – the Bodies of the French Fashion Doll
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he early manufacturers of French Fashion dolls introduced many innovations to doll body design. Madame Huret, who was well established as a doll maker by the 1860’s, produced several different body types and experimented with different materials as well. From blown kid leather to gutta percha (a rubber product) to the more durable jointed wood body, Madame Huret was a pioneer not only in the concept of doll artistry but also in its production as well. Madame Huret’s closest competitor, Madame Rohmer, initiated her own innovations in doll body design. Her early dolls had a unique neck attachment with a flat flange arrangement. Noticing that the doll’s head
An early Huret china head fashion with a gutta percha body. The body is very lightweight but the rubber based composition proved fragile over time.
Rohmer with bisque arms and lower legs and unique neck attachment to shoulder plate. Note Rohmer stamp on doll’s torso and ribbons that originally would have had hooks at the end to allow doll to sit with stability.
A Jumeau fashion with a typical stuffed leather body. Note padding to suggest bosom and ample padding on rear to accommodate the latest fashion styles. Fingers have wires so they could be able to be bent in order to hold items.
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Our work is intricately linked to our earliest challenges – writing several complementary source books to provide skillful, technical and historical tools to help the reader to step into the fascinating world of FRENCH DOLLS. Our entire work is devoted to these ideals. Danielle & François Theimer Contact: François THEIMER 4 rue des Cavaliers 89130 TOUCY (France) Tél 0033 3 86 74 31 76 Fax 0033 3 86 74 32 13 Website: www.theimer.fr email: francois.theimer@wanadoo.fr
by Florence Theriault
Deruchette, the Huret poupee that had served as muse for Victor Hugo’s novel, Toilers of the Sea, and later was owned by his beloved granddaughter Jeanne.
She always called it ’ “the Great Man s doll”. The Great Man was Victor Hugo, arguably France’s finest poet and playwright of all time. She was Alice Asseline, daughter of Hugo’s close friend, Alfred Asseline. The doll was a gift from Victor Hugo to young Alice in the early 1860s commemorating Deruchette, the innocent heroine of his novel-in-progress, Travailleurs de la Mer. The doll and the first part of its history were documented in the book, Victor Hugo Intime, written by Alfred Asseline some years later. “About that time, Victor Hugo gave a doll to my daughter Alice. The doll was a portrait of Deruchette, the romantic heroine from the novel, Travailleurs de la Mer. Deruchette was dressed in the Guernsey fashion of the year 1768. Hugo had wished to have before his eyes an authentic costume of an elegant Guernsey woman of that era in which his novel took place…The costume was authentic in all its details, from the traditional embroidery of the skirt to the stones of Rhine on the shoes…Alice kept Deruchette until she was 11 years old. Little by little Deruchette fell into disrepair and her Guernsey costume faded into frail threads. The story continued. “Alice always called it the ‘Great Man’s Doll’. When she was asked what was the best Hugo work of his exile period she would answer ‘My doll’ ”.
During Deruchette’s return to the Huret ateliers in 1875, she received several new and fashionable gowns of the time including this especially commissioned elegant gown that bears the Huret signature.
The exile years of Victor Hugo were from 1851 to 1870, during the entire era of Napoleon III whom, in a phrase of historic political incorrectness, Hugo had named “Napoleon the Small”. The majority of those exile years were spent on the Channel Island of Guernsey, a seaside refuge that gave sustenance to Hugo’s fervid imagination. A collector by nature, his home became filled with treasures and curiosities discovered in the little shops of Saint-Port-Pierre. Life was a moveable feast of work and play, writing and walking, family, friends, and fellow exiles (one of whom was the aforementioned Alfred Asseline), and included not only his wife, his long-time mistress and his son Charles, but at the end, his beloved 47